A 14-year-old boy who was the victim of a hit-and-run in Dublin last Friday lost his fight for life last night.

Conor Hickey, of St Attracta's Road, Cabra, died just a day after being hit by a silver-coloured car at the junction of St Eithne Road and Fassaugh Road in Cabra. Gardai have appealed for the driver involved to come forward and also asked for witnesses to contact any garda station.

Ex-Unicef boss wishes successor well

FORMER Unicef Ireland CEO Melanie Verwoerd has wished her successor, former government junior minister and TD Peter Power, "all the best" in his new post.

Ms Verwoerd, who was dramatically sacked from the organisation because of her links to radio presenter Gerry Ryan, is suing Unicef Ireland for wrongful dismissal. Last night she told the Sunday Independent: "I wish Peter Power all the best. I hope it goes well for him and the team in serving the children in these challenging times."

TV3 backs down in Kenny speech row

TV3 will show the Taoiseach's 'state of the nation' address after Fine Gael TD Derek Keating said the station was being "irresponsible and unpatriotic" for refusing to interrupt its coverage of The X Factor to carry this evening's broadcast. Enda Kenny's speech will be shown on RTE after the 9pm news and at 10.15pm by TV3.

One winner of €2.6m Lotto jackpot

THERE was one winner of last night's €2,642,046 Lotto jackpot. The numbers were 4, 12, 14, 16, 21, 34 (bonus 22).

A TAX on Lotto winnings was one of the proposals put forward at a Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting. Other ideas included a new off-licence tax which, it was claimed, could raise up to €150m and a 2¢ tax on texts to raise €213m. Senior party figures rejected the proposals.

Woman assaulted in church grounds

A WOMAN was sexually assaulted in the grounds of a church early yesterday morning. The woman was walking home when two men assaulted her at 3am in the grounds of the Holy Spirit Church, Dennehy's Cross, Cork City. Anyone with information should call local gardai on (021) 4947120 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.

Craft workers in festive fare display

Craft workers will be putting their wares on display on George's Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, in the run-up to Christmas to encouraging shoppers to buy Irish. The fair is organised by the DLR County Enterprise Board.

TD in jobs plea to firm facing closure

A CLARE TD has appealed to a Shannon-based firm to give a "clear statement" on the future of 140 of its workers. Staff at Sykes Enterprises, which has already shed 75 employees, were told on Thursday that their office would close at the end of April as part of a "consolidation" move.

Coppers puts on show for McGovern

THERE was a special screening in aid of Fermanagh footballer Mark McGovern of a new documentary An Exile's Home in the Bronx in Copper Face Jack's nightclub, Dublin, on Friday night. McGovern is continuing his recovery from a serious head injury sustained in a GAA match in the US. The documentary gives a fly-on-the-wall account of the New York senior football team in the lead up to their senior football clash against Roscommon.

Gardai take pregnant woman to jail

A HEAVILY pregnant woman facing deportation had to be taken from Mountjoy Prison to a maternity hospital after she was arrested last week.

Friends of Razwana Aslam, 26, said she was left traumatised when gardai took her to prison, despite being asked by a doctor not to move her as she was over eight months pregnant. She was moved to the Rotunda Hospital and held under guard after complaining of back pains.

An emergency sitting of the High Court was held at the home of Judge Gerard Hogan on Tuesday to prevent Ms Aslam's immediate deportation to Pakistan. The judge put a stay on the deportation until a full High Court hearing.